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Messages - Tarbender

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Any long time Jackson Heights residents out there?
« on: July 08, 2016, 09:39:31 AM »
There was a couple who lived in our 82nd Street apartment, I can only remember his name Kelvin Keech, who was a NBC radio announcer for the show Terry and the Pirates and several others. His wife was Russian and her brothers were Whites with the Russian Cavalry who battled against the Reds. Lots of young people interested in the theater and radio business used to say Mr. Keech was very helpful to them in their interest with advise and introductions. Right on the block with the Continental Restaurant, past the Singer Sewing Machine Store and Womrath Book Lending Store was a dry cleaning store, I believe Columbia Cleaners, with a lovely owner Mrs. Kramer who always wore the U.S. Army Aircorp pilot "Wings" that belonged to her son who was killed in action. This lovely lady was our local Mrs. Minever with a courageous attitude, always pleasant and upbeat. The padres from St. Joan of Arc rectory around the block were big fans of hers and pointed to one and all that she was a hero and we should all  honor her.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: OLDTIMERS! Did you live in Jackson Heights at any time prior to 1950?
« on: March 12, 2016, 12:01:21 PM »
I do remember Sr. Donalda the principle of St. Joan of Arc for my 8 years there. She was a big woman with a pleasant but serious face (who wouldn't be serious looking with a school having average classes of 68 kids?) First grade had an ancient nun by the name of Sr. Fostina and she of the gentle kindness was perfect for tiny kids. In 3rd grade we had Sr. Benedict who while she was nicknamed the "Gestapo" was a great teacher and had the entire class paying attention every day to her lessons. Our class (mixed) had a dozen extremely intelligent girls who seemingly at the time used to get 100% in each subject, when Pastor Rev. Boylan read out our report cards in class. Only one boy had a major number of 100%'s and I was usually chided at report card time for " poor" conduct.  Lots of gabbing and note passing. Sports were very slim at SJA but Miss Wiseburger the gym teacher got us exercising in the Gymnasian once a week, and at lunchtime there was hand ball against the school wall. After school we used to frequent the empty lots for baseball, football, stick ball and hide and go seek. We had some super "Tom-boy" classmates who joined in with us playing sports and two of them were better at sports than any of us. Sr. St. Morris, our fifth grade teacher, strict, bright, fun, always challenging, demanded daily class participation from everyone so you had to have done your homework. Reading assignments were very demanding but in retrospect it helped me immensely in high school and college. She was singlehandedly responsible for helping me find my way in Math, and her extra help at that time gave us all a big advantage. Her expectations for us made us want to attain her approval. Overall, we were very lucky to have so many good dedicated teachers at SJA and am amazed that we ever learned anything with the class sizes of 65-75 kids. The school had a "Junior School of the Theater" associated with a top flight "Theater Guild" both putting on shows with amateur talent and Broadway/Off Broadway professionals living in Jackson Heights.   

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Anyone remember the old restaurants of jackson Heights?
« on: March 11, 2016, 09:25:32 AM »
There was a restaurant/bar located on 37th Avenue near 83rd St. opened just after WW-II !946 named the Flying Tiger that had a wooden airplane prop on the name hanging over the door. I was never in it by my folks and a lot of veterans  used to go there to support the two fighter pilots who owned it. The other popular restaurant from the 1940's-'50s was Schrafft's on 82nd Street, between Roosevelt and 37th Avenue on the West side of the street. Lots of elderly residents went there for lunch and dinner. Bickford's was cafeteria style on the corner of the same block just at the entry to the elevated line. Had a summer job as a swing man at the Silvercup Bakery in L.I.C. and before I got on the train to L.I.C. at 3:45AM I would get a cup of java and a donut at the Bickford's (cheap, cheerful and open at that time dealing with night shift folk and early birds.) Great family celebration type restaurant on Broadway and 82 St (Elmhurst) was a German food place named, I believe, the Hofbrau. Great Roast Beef, Straganoff, Schnitzel,  and Shomptort deserts. The beer steins must have been great but was out of my league as an under drinking age feather merchant.

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Neighborhood Chat / Re: Famous JH Residents
« on: January 10, 2016, 09:55:32 AM »
A lovely man John McLaughlin his wife Lolly and beautiful daughter Mary Ellen lived in our apartment building from the 1930's,40's and 50's. He was the pianist for George M. Cohan from Vaudeville days and Yankee Doodle Dandy Broadway shows. He was a delightful person and always greeted this feather merchant with a "Hows my pal?"

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: OLDTIMERS! Did you live in Jackson Heights at any time prior to 1950?
« on: September 23, 2015, 07:43:44 AM »
The Electric Substation off Roosevelt Ave., was a very spooky place with an awful smell. John Guare the Playwrite who grew up in JH and graduated from SJA in 1952, wrote a short story about a couple of "feather-merchants" making a forbidden visit to the substation. I believe it was published, but, I couldn't locate it. There was an empty lot on 85 or 86 Steet, between 35th and 37th Ave., that we used to play baseball and football on and was inundated with holes dug by little kids or dogs and was a hazard to attempt running on. Nevertheless, it was all we had to play in after all the other lots disappeared with the Post WW-II late 40 early 50's apartment construction. There were two cops (ex PAL guys) who tried organizing a bit of a league, and worked very hard with the willing to teach the basics of the games. It must have been very frustrating dealing with us as we never had full uniforms or pads and noone had cleats only sneakers. Can't remember their names but we referred to them as "officer". Finally, St. Mark's and Community Church had Cub Scout packs that organized sport training and games on Saturdays. The coach of Community Church was a great guy and an FBI special agent named Joe Brock who was killed in the line of duty in 1948. Brad Corbett was a captain of the St. Mark's Cub Scout football team and many years later owned the Texas Ranger baseball team. Larry Judd was a fantastic athlete of Community Church and ran circles around us. Our paths crossed in the US Army when he was assigned to my unit from the 82nd Airborne.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Some old pics
« on: July 08, 2015, 05:13:58 AM »
i believe the top of the apartment building (red) appearing in the picture is the apartment called "THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES" in the play of the same name written by the playwright John Guare who was a resident of the apartment as a young boy. The name referred to the wallpaper throughout the lobby of the building which he thought was odd.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Any long time Jackson Heights residents out there?
« on: July 08, 2015, 05:00:31 AM »
Great memory of Scoutmaster K's closing admonition. In 1953 a bunch of 217 scouts went to the Jamboree at the Irvine Scout Ranch in Irvine, California. Ted Schroetter, Burt Herman, Alfie Tisch, Rolf Barth, Jimmy Robinson and myself all went by train, no a/c, stopping along the way to visit D.C, St. Louis, Kansas City, Pike Peak, Albequerci, Nevada, and then the northern route home. Quite an experience meeting scouts from all over the world and swapping our kerchifs for theirs and bringing Texas horned toads home to JH. There were some fantastic night ceremonies with celebrity entertainers and 40,000 scouts joining in and being dazzled by the lighting and the moment. At 217 we were fortunate to have an excellent scoutmaster named Bob Howard for almost 3 years who was a doer, teacher, solid leader who everyone admired. A Boys Life editor, Bob Brooks, took over on a temporary basis when Mr. Howard moved to New Jersey. Brooks was a whirlwind of activity and camping trips. JH had 3 Boy Scout troops in 1950, P.S. 69, Community Church and St. Mark's.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Any long time Jackson Heights residents out there?
« on: July 07, 2015, 09:14:10 AM »
Just read your missive about Fields and buying your Boy Scout uniform there. The Cobra Patrol was led by a great scout named Ted Schroetter. Was wondering if he was there when you were. I spent time as the patrol leader of the Shooting Star patrol and then was the SPL (senior patrol leader) at Troop 217 in P.S. 69. I hear from Ted frequently and I'm sure he would be happy to hear about a former Cobra patrol member on the Jackson Heights Life. All the best to you.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Remembering R. W. G.
« on: January 17, 2015, 10:03:16 AM »
The Sue Kelly lived in the Chateau 34-06-81Street, I believe. There was a very nice Fleming girl in Miss Lewis dance class, but I can't remember the first name. I'm sure that most of the girls I knew were GCDS girls and lots of fun. Several years ago we moved full-time  to our summer home in Maine and the pastor of the local Catholic church we attend is a former Methodist. He is a breath of fresh air and a brilliant speaker. Has that calm dignity lived by ladies and gentlemen when they have the genial grace of life that we only heard about. Never focuses on social justice, equality or anything PC, just gives insights and reflections on the good Lord and redemption. Church is loaded to the brim and since the good padre never mentions $$, they have one of the heaviest collection plates in the State. Spending the Winter in Charleston, S.C. where we have just the opposite kind of pastor, who never gives a homily resembling the Lords message. Keep the faith and keep helping St. Mark's in all their good works. Cub Scouts at St. Mark's was an excellent experience for me when I was growing up and will never forget the paper drives, metal drives that our pack under the supervision of dads, Pack Master Fuller and guidance of the good Rev. Schofield were enormous successes.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Remembering R. W. G.
« on: January 15, 2015, 09:49:57 AM »
What a nice message. All those old names of some very nifty people. God bless them. If you are connecting with Val or Sue Kelly please say hello and all the best to them from Owen Gavigan. I remember seeing Sue Kelly "under the clock" (as F.S.Fitzgerald said) at the Biltmore Hotel and she was in a Boston college and I was at Georgetown and I got her phone number which I put in a "safe place" intending to call and see her, but, misplaced it and had a lapse of what college she was at. I later found out that a pal of mine Bart Higgins from Tufts had dated her in Boston. That's all in the realm of 6% of Separation, a movie by John Guare who lived in JH on 82nd Street near 37th Ave. in (the "house of blue leaves") Val's brother J.C. I believe went to B.C. when they moved to Boston and married a former Jackson Height's girl named Lyn (I believe) Von Holten. Would love to connect with him sometime. He and I were students at Mrs. Louis's dance classes on Friday nights in the basement of an apartment house on 34th Ave. around 77th Street. The girls there were all great and very kind toward two left-footed teenage boys like myself. Anyway thanks for the memories. Did you know a girl named Mary Kehoe from the Chateau? By the way, my oldest friend from 82nd Street, Ted Schroetter a poet, Summa graduate of Princeton moved back to Jackson Heights and left Roman Catholicism and is now a St. Mark's communicant. Do you by any chance know Ted?

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Nellie Speer
« on: January 12, 2015, 02:15:10 PM »
The great "Nellie Speer". Wonderful pies, cakes and honey buns. The drug store/soda parlor on the South West corner of 37th Avenue and 82nd Street before it was Moss's Drug Store was I believe Liggett's in the 40's and early 50's. Where Field's Dept. Store was an old fashioned candy store Fanny Farmer that actually sold individual candy to "feather merchants" like myself (under the age of 9). Liggett's had a wonderful E-W soda fountain where a nice guy soda jerk sold everyone nickel cokes, later a dime. Famous English muffins toasted. (Soda-jerk lived on 82 Street in an apt. between 35 and 34 Ave with his parents and his name was John Erickson and became a movie actor. One movie I can remember he was in was Bad Day at Black Rock starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan and Lee Marvin.) 





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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Remembering R. W. G.
« on: January 07, 2015, 06:52:27 AM »
Was wondering if you might have known J.C. Curtin at GCD? His dad was "Mr. North" on the radio. J.C was a pal of Dick Ellison, a red-haired boy named Joyce and J.C. lived in the 80th Street Chateau's. There were other GCD boys: Jamie Mc Clintock, Donald Fordyce, Gibbs, and girls like Carole Vaughn, Carla Vogel, Sue Kelly most were Chateau residents.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Any long time Jackson Heights residents out there?
« on: January 06, 2015, 05:54:40 PM »
Time was around 1945-55, when my dad used to take me shopping at Sears Roebuck. Actually, my first two wheel bike was bought there it was a J.C. Higgins and had tail lights when you stepped on the brakes. Big fat wheels so rough on hills. There was a great hill for sleigh riding on the "golf course" which was on 78th Street (I believe) between 34th and 35th. In 1947 or 8 there was a big time snowstorm so we were sledding for days. Do you remember the Hobby Hub on 82nd past Roosevelt almost to Elmhurst? Had model planes and cars that the owner helped us build and if you could afford it, engines for them. The owner was a nice guy who was a former Marine and helped us get started building them.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Any long time Jackson Heights residents out there?
« on: December 22, 2014, 12:04:06 PM »
Was just reading where someone couldn't remember shopping on Roosevelt Avenue with the exception of Keffas Florist and I remember going to the A&P on Roosevelt Avenue and 85th Street before the A&P opened on Northern Blvd between 81st and 82nd street. And also the Army Navy Surplus Store on Roosevelt and 83St. (Southside) and a great Italian Restaurant (cheap and cheerful) for Pizza and Spagetti name LIDO on Roosevelt and 81st Street and just thought of Sears Roebuck big store on Roosevelt and 86th Street, As well as a "FROZEN CUSTARD" store on Roosevelt and 83rd (which became a CARVEL) and on the corner of 82nd just past the Cushmans Bakery an ice cream parlor that I don't remember the name of, second only to "Joust" soda store on Northern Blvd. and 83rd next to Conways Funeral Parlor, and accross from the Boulevard Movie Theater and Maxie's "candy store" that sold the wonderful bulk Breyer's ice cream.

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Jackson Heights of Yesteryear / Re: Jackson Heights Toy Store
« on: December 03, 2014, 10:44:45 AM »
I sort of remember a toy store there but not the name. After WW-II, an former Marine opened a store named Hobby Hub on the other side of Roosevelt Avenue and 82nd Street where he sold model airplanes and cars and helped us get started or finished. He also sold model engines for the planes and cars (gas operated) which were too expensive for this pilgrim but some of my pals had them and we went to the lots for experimental flights (some immediatly crashed) and the frames were made of balsa wood so, we started all over. Wonderful memories. Also, can still remember Whalen Drug Store on 82nd Street, between 37th Ave. and Roosevelt Avenue, on Friday when my older sister and I could get a tuna salad on white toast and a malted milkshake for $0.50 each. Can anyone imagine?

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